Keeping Calm: Coloring On

This morning my dogs and my baby woke me at 6am and neither party had any interest in sleeping past o-dark-thirty. I flopped about on my pillow, trying to ignore the whimper at the door and the gurgling coos from the bassinet. I thought to myself, “If I get up with these hooligans now, how many cups of coffee will I need to survive?” Alas, I knew better than to give into the desire for loads of caffeine, since it makes my mind race and gives me heart palpitations. I opted for waking up on the right side of the bed – determined to start the day fresh and with that good ol’ verse of purpose – “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!”

I made the bed for starters; for some reason if I take the time to just do that then I gain momentum to keep going. I dressed the Little Person, made myself breakfast, took care of the animals, baked bread, tidied up the house, got dressed, listened to a sermon, and danced around the kitchen with the babe to country tunes (very important daily task, of course 😉 )… All the while with my desperate ten month old puppy attached to my every step like a stamp to a letter and with my baby drooling up a flood or crying a river because of those teething gums.

But finally, miraculously, 10am rolled in and the baby drifted off to sleep and the dogs went out to romp and…

Lo and behold, I was alone. Basking in the light streaming through the windows and surrounded by my treasured pile of books. Ah, me. It was a glorious moment.

I even coveted a little time to color in my coloring book and write in my journal. These are rare moments as you know, moms! I’m considering instituting a strict nap schedule so that I can squirrel away some coloring ;P

Even though it started off topsy turvy, I was encouraged by my alone time, and truly appreciated the chance to reflect and rejuvenate mentally, emotionally and spiritually. If you’ve had some time to yourself recently to keep calm so that you can carry on, what are some books you’ve enjoyed reading or some of your favorite pastimes?